RE-SURVEY OF AUCKLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 245, 16 October 1922, Page 3

RE-SURVEY OF AUCKLAND.

FROM CIVIC POINT OF VIEW. PLANKING A PICTCKE CITY. A suggestion that an effort bo niacin o bring together the various interests )f the City of Auckland for tin- i-vcilu-:ion of a definite plan of improvement n the town's growth and progress was ir-.ade by Mr. G. M. Fowlds today. J in the course of a chat with a "Star" I representative. The. economic waste and »vils resultant from haphazard building were, he said, apparent every (ley, and »ny person acquainted with the city L-oiild now point out where hundreds of thousands of pounds would have been =aved had the creation of the streets, parka, and buildings in past years been planned out by experts with an eye <m the growth of the town. The idea aimed at .1 h planning wns the co-operation of nil interests in having a civic survey of the cifv made with a view to brst ••rving all the interests involved. That would include the questions of water nipply and drainage, parks, traffic facilities *( streets, railways, trams, water I, •■fi-ibution of manufacturing and business aTea.-: (requirement* for •_■»•" ni'HT"- rment and extension) preservation of historical places and buildings and the general tendencies of 'he town's growth with the indications afforded by tiicm as to the natural lines of the towns development. MEANING OF CIVIC KI'KVF.Y. All the local government bodies, business associations, trades union associations, and other bodies with soc : ;il objects should 1)« represented on a general committee, which would he divided into sectional committees for various sections of the work such finance, housit.g, reading, playgrounds harbour, building, etc. The first thin? was to take stock of the situation, ami provide for a civic survey, anticipatni;. the development of the city in the nex; quarter of a century, and see when existing plans could be dovetailed When the survey had been made sec tional committees should be deputed t< make the investigations and report t. the general committee of the associate; organisations and other interested mdi viduals. When these reports had beei considered and adopted the actual carry ing out of the work should be set n motion. ■ Town planning for the systematic am orderly development of a city re |uire< the combination of the technical expert comprising the architect and engineer along with the promotive expert, wm 'prising the educationist and publicity j salesman, stated Mr. Fowlds. We conic 'not do better than follow the exampk iof Chicago, where a body of disintervstei 'citizens started twenty years ago m» : spent time and money in employing th< best brains to etudy and then plan Uv. future development of that city. N< city in the world had carried on such f '■ comprehensive campaign as had tin people in Chicago. The Chicago grou] iof men who formed themselves into ; commission employed the foremos arcllitecte, artists.'and surveyors, c"gi neers. and publicity men. and after s»l legal and other obstacles had bef-n owr -ome, and the scheme accepted by t.i oinmunity. handed it over in svetion or the municipal authorities to carr Hit. NEED FOR CO-OPERATION. Auckland now had a body of £'»> •itizons who were always ready to hcl •very worthy cause, and who run! hinic of other things than makin noney. Thuy were prepared to <>i\ :ime and money to the embellishment ( •he city beautiful they prospered ii 'We nwd," continued Mr. Fowlds. rood many more email parks from or to five acres scattered over our city. Oi provision of playing areas has even no rep.ched serious congestion, and n gem , Diis acquisition of further spaces in a (.he suburbs is an absolute necessii The traffic problem in our streets is b coming acute, and thu tran*portati< of the people hack and forth night a; morning is likewise becoming a problei Close investigation and wise planning pven now very necessary. Every <!: the future difficulties and expense a increasing in the outer areas, parti' , larly bveau«e of the eub-divieion of pr perties without regard to tlie harrnni ous lay-out of the (ireater Auckland.' , AIMS AND TIME LIMIT. The plan was, he concluded, to •■ together all kinds of bodies that we I now -working in different ways, and ! set objectives and a definite tir I limit. The stimulus of the time lirn would cause many projects to tackled that would" otherwise be pns poned for years, and then be nm difficult and expensive to put throuf; Team work, with an ideal to lie ';.. tnine.d, was the keynote of puccrss. Among the many things that could be taken up sectionally when a mmplete civic survey and' plnn had be. n drawn up to direct (he line of opera tionß were completion of the ilraina'.'i , system, extension of the water supply to meet the needs of .Greater Aiuklan 1. new railway station, esplanade from St. Helier's to Point Chevalier, acquisition of more small parks and pin; ii'g areas, building of apartment. hou*rs for people of moderate means, more k.r. dergartens, united charity work, n:n\r cipal milk supply, Orakei Riird. n suburb, and co on.